chpettit19

Making the swing adjustments was the biggest hurdle. He's giving himself a much better chance at success with that swing than his old one. I don't think he was ever going to repeat the success he had in 2023, but he looks much better than last year already. I don't think a trip to AAA is the end of the world, but not sure it's really needed, either. I don't know what Eddie is going to end up being, but I'm far more encouraged by the new swing than I was by his old one.

It is data. It happens so frequently by so many teams that they had to make rules for it. Describing Dobnak as simply "a relief pitcher on the bubble" is missing a lot of the context of the role Randy was in. Almost all of the context, actually. He wasn't going to throw a pitch in any situation other than a starting pitcher blowing up and having an awful game (the situation that ended up happening) or a starting pitcher getting hurt and the Twins needing multiple innings out of an individual pitcher. Randy would then be on the hook for pitching multiple innings. If it was for a "blow up" start it wouldn't matter how well he pitched. Whether he gave up 0 runs or 20 runs, it wouldn't matter. His 1 and only job on this team was to eat innings and save the bullpen in an emergency and then go be a St Paul Saint afterwards. That was then the only role Darren McCaughan had. And it'll be the only role for whoever replaces Darren (although, I suppose they do have an off-day Friday so maybe they roll the dice that they don't need a long man today or tomorrow?). Pinch hitting in the middle innings and sitting guys after getting game winning hits are completely and totally different things that have nothing to do with how teams cycle through relief pitchers. I'm not sure why you even bring those things up. I'm not going to go through the entire transaction logs of the Dodgers and Guardians, but a quick glance at just the end of the year for the Dodgers last year shows Ben Casparius having his contract selected on 8/18. Being optioned again on 8/21 (without even pitching). Being recalled on 8/31 and pitching 1 inning that day (0 runs allowed) and being optioned right back to the minors. He was then recalled on 9/20, threw 3 innings of 1 run ball on 9/22, was optioned on 9/24, recalled on 9/26, threw 4.1 innings of 1 earned run (2 total runs) ball on 9/27, and optioned again on 9/28. 3 regular season appearances to go with being optioned 4 times. This is what teams do. It's why the league made rules for it.

Pitchers have to remain in the minors for 15 days after being demoted. Players can only be optioned 5 times in a season before having to be placed on waivers. These rules weren't put in place because of how the Twins treat their players. They were put in place (in 2022) because of how "the other 29 teams decide on non-injury bullpen demotions to the minors." This isn't the Twins being jerks and doing something outside the norm. This is how nearly everyone does things.

MLB does have rules for this stuff. If Randy is good enough he'll get claimed. If not, he'll still get paid $3M to play baseball this year. MLB has rules against how many times a guy can be demoted in a season and how long a guy has to spend in the minors after he was demoted and the DFA rules themselves allow other teams to "steal" players for "nothing" to reduce the amount of cycling through of arms teams do between AAA and the majors. What rule are they supposed to put in place? "We know what you're really doing so we're going to stop you from making roster moves when we decide you're taking advantage of the rules in place?" As for "the Twins need a plan" talk. The Twins had a plan. This was the plan. If you didn't know this was the plan for Dobnak you haven't been paying attention to Major League Baseball for the last decade. It's the reason they've put rules in place about how often you can demote a guy and how long he has to stay there. New flash: Darren McCaughan isn't going to be on tomorrow's 26-man roster. This is the plan for just about every team in baseball. It's not the Twins lacking a plan. It's the Twins executing a plan. And the fact that MLB does have rules for this stuff shows you that it's a pretty common plan because it happens so often with so many teams the league felt they needed to put rules in place for it. The DFA rules are in place to help players, not teams. If a player is good enough they get claimed and get a shot to stay on a major league roster. The 40-man roster rules are in place to stop teams from hoarding players in the minors and force them to make decisions on guys and give other teams a chance to "steal" them and give them a shot at the majors for just the cost of their contract. Randy's problem is nobody thinks he's worth his contract. MLB can't make a rule for that. But they have rules for the rest of this stuff. It's not their fault teams think he's overcompensated. If he cares more about being in the majors he has the ability to choose free agency and give up his $3 million (plus $1 million buyout next year). Because MLB has numerous rules to give players chances to get to different teams to get shots at the majors. I have a feeling Randy won't be choosing free agency, though. The rules aren't holding him back.

There's a difference between being "the best prospect in baseball" and comping him to a kid who was a complete bust from the jump. Cavaco never had a chance. He was lucky to make it out of rookie ball. He's never put up a .700 OPS in any meaningful time at any level while never making it past A+ ball. If you wanted to make that comp after the draft that's one thing, but we've seen him play. That's a ridiculous comp at this point. He's already surpassed anything Cavaco has ever done. Winokur: a19 wRC+ 116, K% 28.0 James Wood: a19 wRC+ 129, K% 28.0 Oneil Cruz: a18 wRC+ 79, K% 29.3 Elly De La Cruz: a19 wRC+ 106, K% 31.0 There's some other super athletic 6'5" to 6'7" guys and what they did in their first full season in A ball. Keoni Cavaco: a20 wRC+ 68, K% 34.2 The other 3 were all top 100 global prospects shortly after, or immediately after, those A ball seasons. Cavaco is a pretty wild comp.

I didn't question the WHY at all, I questioned the IF. The WHY is always clear. Human greed. The IF is always the only question. It's always a question of IF they will invest, not WHY they didn't if they choose not to.

There are 6 catchers in baseball that make 10 million or more, and Vazquez is going to come off the list after this year. Potentially Sal Perez as well, but the Royals may pick up that option. Rutschman and the younger Contreras will eventually be added to the list, and Kirk's salary jumps next year with his new extension. But Realmuto will be coming back down to earth some on his next deal and so will Perez. Do we really think Ryan Jeffers is worth not just top 10 catcher money, but top 5 catcher money? Ryan Jeffers is an $8 million catcher. He's Danny Jansen, not Cal Raleigh. The Twins have no business extending Ryan Jeffers for $14 million per year. And the shape of the system has nothing to do with it. The system having very limited options doesn't mean you overpay Jeffers by 6 million. He's not the only option. The rest of the free agent market will still be there. You can sign 2 catchers for that 6 million overpay.

It was all of MLB.tv, if that makes you feel better.

Ask and you shall receive!

I don't know the differences between DirectTV Stream and just streaming through your DirectTV account, but the 668-3 channel on the DirectTV guide for streaming a regular DirectTV account is showing and has the pregame and game scheduled as they should be.

Don't be ridiculous. Simple platooning is played out. Rocco has moved on to 3 men for 1 spot. It's Vazquez hitting for Wallner and Keirsey fielding for Vazquez. If he's feeling real energized by opening day we may then see him go to Gasper hitting for Keirsey and moving Castro to RF to get 4 guys in at 1 position and move a starting position player to another spot.

Don't you even put that out into the universe!

It's also the lineup they've used the last 2 weeks of spring. Rocco just preparing them for this one? Obviously everything can change, and Rocco never sticks with a single lineup. But go listen to Bader interviews after signing. Listen to Rocco interviews early in spring. Look at the lineups from spring. To this point, there's far more evidence that this is, and has been, the plan.

Over how long of a period of time? Rocco and the current regime isn't exactly known for quick hooks on veteran bats.

"Everyday player" is a relative term, I guess. The Twins had 8 players get to 350 PAs last year. Bader getting there would make him an "everyday player" in Twins terms. And I'd bet on him being over 400 (or on pace for before injury) this year which would've put him in the top 5 for the Twins last year. And the year before. Top 9 in 2022. Top 7 2021. If Miranda wasn't hitting 8th I'd be more likely to believe he wouldn't be playing if Lewis or Lee were healthy, but Miranda looks like the guy who barely made the lineup to me. I'd bet Miranda would be on the bench with Lewis or Lee at 3B and the rest of the guys in the same positions (lineup being shifted some, though). That's how Rocco has been running the lineup most of the spring. With Bader with this lineup and Miranda on the outside. And in the interviews Bader gave after he signed he spoke about the opportunity to play being a big part of signing here. He came here because he could play a lot. I'd be he's top 5 in PAs by the end of the year. Far more than his talent level says he should be. And that's been the plan from the beginning, not some injury forced outcome.

Just like I feared and people told me I was crazy for suggesting...Harrison Bader is not here to be a 4th OF, short side platoon, Buxton insurance policy player. Harrison Bader is an everyday player for your 2025 Minnesota Twins. Ok, I got my rant out of the way and will now enjoy the rest of my opening day! I hope everyone has a wonderful day and the Twins win!

I think this is well said, and where I'm at as well. I think there's a chance things come together and they can get up towards that 88-90 win mark, and that's a good team. I wouldn't bet on it, but there's a chance. I think they're in the same 84-87 win range I thought they were in going into last year. Which, I agree, is more of a "pretty good" range. But it's opening day and surprises happen every year. Maybe we'll all be surprised and somebody in the central actually will be great. And maybe it'll be our favorite team.

Randy Dobnak in the opening day pen would beg to differ there. I don't believe they have any plans to ever use Dobnak, but arguing they don't have a need for someone in the pen rings untrue to me. Stewart is less likely than Paddack to make it through the year, and he's already hurt. Dobnak in the pen and Paddack in the rotation or Paddack in the pen and Zebby or Festa in the rotation? Which would you choose? I'll take Zebby in the rotation after the spring he just had and Paddack in the pen.

I don't think the Twins have any plans to have Randy Dobnak throw a single pitch for them. Obviously they are fully prepared for it to happen, but we've seen Sands and others sit in the pen for weeks on end while never throwing a pitch. That's what I think they have Randy scheduled for. They prefer to give Adams and any other youngster regular scheduled work in AAA to start the year than to have them sitting around twiddling their thumbs in the pen. I think their hope is he gets some time with the boys on the big club for a couple weeks until Stewart or Tonkin comes back and then he gets shipped back to AAA. Or preferably claimed off waivers and somebody else pays him 3 mil this year. I don't love the move, but I don't think it's outrageous or worth getting too up in arms over, either.

I definitely don't think other teams are planning for it. It just feels like more of them are becoming more and more open to it. Michael Harris is another one who skipped AAA a few years ago. It's definitely still rare. And I haven't taken the time to actually go look into the numbers to see how many guys are going quicker so it may just be my perception mixed with the Angels going wild. But I named 10 guys above. That feels like a larger number than usual. Just off the top of my head. Over the last 2 seasons.

Another youngster with very little experience making a jump to the majors. Cam was the 14th pick in last year's draft and was traded (as part of a larger package of players) from the Cubs to the Astros over the offseason for Kyle Tucker. He played 32 games in the minors last year, including just 5 at AA. He had 20 PAs in the upper minors (all in those 5 AA games). The Angels have been the most aggressive team in recent years with promoting players. Zach Neto was the 13th pick in 2022 (5 spots after Brooks Lee) and was shortstop for the Angels on April 15th of 2023. In 2023 they drafted Nolan Schanuel 11th overall, and he was at first base in LA on August 18th of that year. Many feel it is just a matter of time before Christian Moore is between them at 2B after he was taken 8th overall last year. The Athletics took Jacob Wilson with the 6th pick in 2023 and had him at SS on July 19, 2024 (he was sent back down after, but was back for September) after just 79 minor league games. Paul Skenes made 12 minor league starts for Pittsburgh after going #1 overall in 2023. And I'd argue (very strongly) that that was too many. Keeping him in the minors to start last year cost them a draft pick and they didn't get an extra year of service time for it anyways. Wyatt Langford went #4 in 2023 and played 44 minor league games that season before debuting on opening day for the defending World Series champions last year. Jackson Holliday was likely the most famous Jackson to debut last year at the age of 20, but very much the least successful and the latest. He didn't debut until the Orioles' 11th game on April 10th, and had a rough first go of things. He's played 155 minor league games before he debuted. Jackson Chourio was another of the 20-year-old Jacksons to debut last year. He played many more minor league games as an international free agent signing (didn't have to wait to be drafted after high school). Including 134 games in the upper minors. He had also signed an MLB contract before his debut. So, he debuted on opening day. And was a star by the end of June. Jackson Merrill rounds out our Jackson trio. Jackson debuted at the age of 20 (turned 21 in April, though) playing a position he'd never played before last spring (CF after having spent his entire life as a SS). He had 46 games in AA under his belt with just a .782 OPS there. Young Mr. Merrill was also a star by the end of June. These are just the names that I have off the top of my head. There may be more the last couple years I'm not thinking of. Are the times changing? Are we going to see more and more teams turning to more and more young players sooner and sooner in their careers? What's driving it? Is it going to hurt players or help them? The Twins were relatively aggressive with Brooks Lee and even got Walker Jenkins to AA in his first year. Are they already following any new aggressive promotion trend?

They're hoping Dobnak doesn't throw a pitch, just like the majority of us. And just like the majority of us would wish with anyone they picked off the waiver wire. He's there in case a starter blows up or gets hurt in a start before Stewart is activated. They didn't want to risk losing Blewett or any of the other guys without options the first week of the season. Reasonable decision even if it's also reasonable to risk those guys now.

The Orioles just sold a year ago. There's multiple groups ready to buy expansion teams. There's a lot more drunken sailors ready to give out ridiculous contracts.

Like @stringer bell, my concern has always been that Bader is more than just a platoon bat, defensive replacement. I think today's lineup is likely the opening day lineup (but Bader will be in an outfield corner and Wallner or Larnach will be at DH). I think Bader was always seen as an everyday guy. That interview on Hot Stove doesn't sound like a guy who thought he was coming in to play 25% of the time. He's here to play every day. I don't think he has the bat for that. Especially in a corner. The Mets didn't think he had the bat to backup CF on their team trying to win the World Series. Bader is going to bring a great glove. He'll bring speed. He'll run the bases well. Seems like a hard worker and good dude. I don't like him as an everyday guy. If Emma starts lighting St Paul on fire and Bader is struggling and they don't push him aside it's going to be pretty frustrating, but not surprising. We'll see how it plays out. He's another 1 year guy so he'll be out of the way next year and we'll see which 1 year guy they bring in then.

Yeah, that's why I said nearly every year. Every team is allowed to have a spike year. The Braves shouldn't be expected to have Strider, Acuna, Riley, Harris, Albies, and Murphy hurt every year, and them all being hurt last year shouldn't be an indictment on their training staff. Acuna blowing out his ACL twice isn't a failure on the training staff. They took a risk on Sale who'd been a disaster with Boston and it turned into a Cy Young. The Twins take way more risks than I'd like on low ceiling players with major injury concerns. Mahle, Topa, and DeSclafani are not Sale. If Sale stays healthy he wins the Cy Young. If those other 3 stay healthy they aren't winning awards. Buxton is a nice risk, in my opinion, because he's paid as a half-season player with incentives if he plays all year and wins awards. Lewis wasn't a gamble, he's just turned into a guy who hasn't stayed healthy. Not sure what is supposed to be done about that. Same with Kirilloff. Did other teams think he was likely to retire at 27 from injury problems? I don't think that's realistic. Jenkins pulled a hammy once and twisted an ankle once. Not sure why his name is being brought up. Lee is an interesting one depending on what info they had about his back before the draft. I know he was praised heavily by a lot of industry folks at the time of the draft, but there were other options for that pick that would've been reasonable as well if they had real medical concerns. Neto, at this early stage in their careers, was clearly the better SS pick. There's always things to criticize for every team. And teams that can't spend as much have to make fewer mistakes. But I think the Twins get too much criticism for the injuries they suffer compared to the rest of the league. It appears to be mostly a symptom of following one team so closely and being unaware of what's actually happening around the entire league, in my estimation.